A day in the life of Alexandre Thomas

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Alexandre Thomas’ flat is ideally located at the bottom of the Montmartre hill and tastefully decorated with - amongst other objects - a little wooden train belonging to his daughter, an Eames House Bird, a poster of the 1981 Rolling Stones American Tour, and antiques inherited from his grandparents. He was kind enough to welcome us there and answer our questions before setting off for his office.

Alexandre Thomas is 36 years old and likes to talk passionately about a wide range of topics: clothing, art, food (his voice still quivers when he tells us about his meal at Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana, the best restaurant in the world), and of course his life. With a coffee-filled Babar cup in his hand, he tells us more about his daily routine.

How long have you lived in this flat for?

Approximately 3 years. But I’ve lived in the Montmartre area for much longer. I had a flat close to Lamarck-Caulaincourt for a while. We’re on the other side of the hill now. My five-year-old daughter stays with me every other week, which obviously affects my routine.

What do you do for a living?

I’m an associate director in an agency called Kantar Added Value. I do brand strategy consulting. Brand strategy is about exploring the concept of a brand in itself, but also its positioning, its cultural significance, its role within society, or simply how it can best interact with consumers via culture. Our clients include Levi’s, Ikea, and Nespresso.

How did you end up in this line of work?

I have an eclectic background. I’m a graduate engineer in thermal energy, so basically anything from cooling systems to rocket and car engines... While engineering school was both fascinating and terribly difficult, I never imagined I’d make a career out of it. Once I’d graduated I found a job in management and strategy consulting in the retail industry. I worked on organisation and productivity-related topics which are morally complex as they have a direct impact on jobs and the lives of people. I gradually moved on to something else, starting with online sales point innovation, and about 5 years ago, when my daughter was born, I got a call from Kantar Added Value.

That’s when you joined the agency where you’re now an associate director.

Yes, and I’m happy. It’s an intellectually stimulating position. It mixes both the more traditional side of the job, i.e., providing consulting services to our clients, and the management of the agency which is starting to take over my daily tasks and is also very interesting. Another advantage worth noting is that I don’t have to suit up to go to work anymore.

So you’ve retired your old uniform?

I used to be a huge consumer of suits! In my defence, it had a lot to do with the corporate consulting environment I was working in... I had cufflinks, grenadine silk ties, and I could wax lyrical on topics ranging from the perfect Italian collar or the best kind of tie knot to go with it. Looking back on it I have to admit it was a bit stupid, being such a diehard extremist. That being said, the best kind of knot for an Italian collar is the four-in-hand because it’s a little asymmetrical and not too massive.

And these days you get to dress more casually?

Yes, and I’d go so far as to say I don’t dress well. A pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, and a pair of sneakers or Crockett and Jones boots do the job. Nothing extravagant, and especially no more cufflinks.

Your only accessory being your watch, right?

Yes, I love watches. In particular robust vintage ones. Because they’re solid and practical. For example I own a Rolex 5513 and an Omega Speedmaster. My favourite timepieces all have a special meaning and sentimental value to me. My most precious time keeper is probably my grandfather’s pocket watch, which he got for his Holy Communion.

Walk us through one of your typical mornings.

It depends on whether my daughter is staying with me or not. When she is I get up earlier, at around 6:30am in order to get ready before waking her up to go to school. I’m the type of person who has to directly jump under the shower to wake up. I’m quite set in my ways when it comes to that part of the day.

Would you mind telling us more?

Well first off, I like to go from top to bottom because I somehow believe gravity has a role to play when you’re taking your shower (laughter). I start by washing my hair, with a D.R. Harris shampoo and then I wash my face with the Horace cleanser. I then switch to Dr. Bronner or Aesop soap - depending on my mood - to wash the rest of my body. Once I’m out of the shower I put on some deodorant, a powdery and gentle women’s deodorant by Dove that carries no fragrance other than cleanliness. After that I brush my teeth, and use some Botot mouthwash, if and when necessary.

You don’t moisturise?

Yes! I actually started recently with the Horace moisturiser. I never managed to find a moisturiser that suited me, but yours is great. My daughter once drew me with lines across the forehead to represent my wrinkles, so I decided something had to be done. It brought about some heavy soul-searching!

I couldn’t help but notice that you have plenty of different perfumes. Do you have one fragrance per season?

Yes. In winter I wear the Monocle perfume and Sugi by Comme des Garçons. In summer Tom Ford, Neroli Portofino, or Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet. I have another Penhaligon’s perfume that smells a little like Holland gin, which comes in pretty handy for mornings after....

Let’s come back to your morning routine. What changes when your daughter is staying with you?

I obviously have a little less time when I have to walk her to school. Before waking her up I switch the TV on and watch the news channels or check the Quartz app - I like its SMS interface. Then I’ll wake her up between 7:20 and 7:30am, and we have our breakfast together, and we talk about the day to come, school… It’s crucial for us to have some father-daughter bonding time. I try to stay off my emails as much as possible. Then we set off around 8:10am, and make it to school between 8:20 and 8:30am. Depending on how much time we have, we sometimes take a more pleasant road which takes us through the Sacré Coeur gardens.

And then you set off for work.

Yes. I travel to work on the metro. It takes me approximately 20 minutes, and it’s the fastest way to get there. My office is close to the Champs Elysées. I get there for 9:00am. The only thing that changes when my daughter is staying with me is the time at which I get up.

What is your work day like?

I organise my work based on the complexity of tasks, and to-do lists. Anything that’s easy to do I deal with immediately; my day often starts with answering emails. After that I like to concentrate on one project for 2 or 3 hours at a time. I also do a lot of PR and public speaking for the agency. It’s a very diversified position, which is great because I really don’t want to have a set routine. My day ends at 7:00pm when my daughter is with me, and later when she isn’t. I quite regularly turn my computer back on once I’ve put her to bed at 8:30pm...

You travel quite a lot to meet with your clients.

Indeed. Some of my clients are based abroad so I have to go and visit them. I’m currently doing regular day trips to Switzerland. If I have to stay any longer I have my Horace toothbrush, my travel size Marvis toothpaste, and I use whatever I get in the Air France kit in order to travel as light as possible. But the real key for a successful trip is to wear a pair of Clarks’ Desert Boots like Anthony Bourdain. It’s the perfect shoe to travel in: you can take them off easily to go through security, they go with dressed up or casual outfits, and most of all, they are incredibly comfortable.

You travel a lot and you’re always working on multiple projects; do you ever manage to log off?

I have a smartphone for work which I try to stay away from in the evening and during the holidays, with mitigated success. What really helps is boxing. I go twice a week when I have my daughter, and 3 times on the other weeks because I have more time on the weekend. I completely switch off for an hour and a half.

How long have you been boxing for?

About a year and a half. I started when I gave up smoking. I was beginning to get some stamina back and I needed to lose weight.

How does boxing alter your routine?

I shower at the gym and exfoliate with the Horace konjac sponge because I read somewhere that it was beneficial to do so after exercising. I wonder where I got that from (laughter)! I also have roll-on perfume in my bag to smell good after my session as I often go during my lunch break.

You have a shaved head. How often do you trim down your hair?

I didn’t really choose this hairdo; it was more of a necessity than anything else as I’m going bald. I shave my head once a week and trim down my beard at the same time. I use a number 1 guide comb for my head and my sideburns, and keep my beard a bit longer on the front. It slims down the face.

When did you start losing your hair?

When I was 25-30. I’m not super comfortable with it, and I promise you that if I had hair I would take amazing care of it! But I’ve decided to take a page out of Bruce Willis’ book and accept it. I once got in an Uber and the first thing the driver asked me was whether I’d already considered hair implants. I thought I was going to get out there and then but it turns out the poor guy was only looking for information as he was starting to lose hair himself. Bald recognise bald if you know what I mean. George Costanza style.

I’ve got to admit that your routine is pretty well thought-out.

Well, I am a man of habit, it’s true, although my routine is quite basic and easy. It’s more about hygiene than grooming to be honest. I don’t really like to use the word grooming when the aim is simply to be clean.

Photos : Louis Muller